Feels like I'm falling apart
by SchwarzerWolf
Summary: Leader - Subordinate. Hero - Villain. Man - Monster. Gabriel Reyes, the Blackwatch Commander who would eventually become the black robed mercenary known as the Reaper, has had many encounters with different people. Some friends, some enemies. The now-known Reaper will confront these meetings once more, only this time - it won't be as Reyes. (ReaperxAll - Rated M, smut,language etc)
1. Found you (ReaperxMercy)

Gabriel Reyes. Blackwatch Commander, former original Overwatch Strike Team Commander and United State's Soldier Enhancement Program subject – has obviously received his fair share of wounds and casualties. Though he never thought it would take him to the point where he would end up in the emergency sector of Overwatch's main compound.

"Commander…"

Though in all honesty, he never thought that he'd get injured enough to actually appear in this sector of the compound. But it wasn't bad. The rooms were clean and smelt of sanitizer, refreshing compared to the constant aroma of used bandages and bloodied scalpels.

"…Commander."

Maybe he should've been more careful out there on the field. But then again, if he hadn't been so careless – Jesse and the rest of his squad might've been rendered incapacitated, or worse – KIA. No matter, a massive gash wound against his arm and chest is a small price to pay for the preservation of his Blackwatch elite. No point in throwing away loyal soldiers.

"Commander!"

His eyes blink frantically for a brief moment before he stops and looks around. He feels his chest and left arm burn like a forest fire, he snarls and bares his teeth as he closes his eyes and begins to breathe heavily. Suddenly he feels two soft hands touch his shoulder, he hears someone stand up and lurk over his body. Gabriel slowly opens his eyes to find a worried blonde looking at him with deep ocean blue eyes.

The Blackwatch Commander begins to calm down – his snarls of pain lessened but the burning sensation across the massive gash across his chest and arm still scorched his body. Quickly the blonde doctor released him and turned around, frantically fumbling with surgical tools that were neatly settled beside his surgical bed. His hazy vision clears to see the woman in the white lab coat turn around with several bandages in-hand.

"Relax Commander. The disinfectant is just taking its toll now that you're conscience. The pain should subside in a few hours." Her voice was soothing and warm like a comforting mother. Her accent spurred several thoughts through his head – unsure of what it was. French? No, German? Not quite. Whatever it was, it nearly made all his pain go away.

Gabriel's breathing eventually steadied to a slow pace. He watched as the blonde doctor wrap the rolls of bandages around his arm and eventually reaching behind his back and rolling the bandages across his chest and over his shoulder. Slowly he glanced his eyes down towards the bandages, his dark red blood slowly seeping into them. Then he moved his eyes towards the doctor's face. She looked familiar. What was her name again? Angela, that's it.

His lips begin to purse, the doctor feels his movement and turns her head towards him. She hears him speak.

"You're the new head of Medical research, aren't you?"

His voice was low and gravelled, however it held the tone of an experienced and disciplined soldier. Angela cut the bandage across his chest and finally clipped them in place. She looks at the weary Blackwatch commander and gives him a warm smile.

"Yes I am."

Gabriel nods slowly and looks forward.

"You're quite the academic aren't you? So many medical discoveries and advancements in such little time. I've heard of you. Very good things."

The doctor chuckles and humbly acknowledges with a silent nod.

"Well, yes Commander. I have been told that I can perform a great many things."

"A child prodigy being one of them?"

Her blue eyes glistened as their conversation furthered.

"Mm, yes. A child prodigy being one of them."

Gabriel begins to slowly pull his wounded body upright – the pain tearing at every movement. Angela widens her eyes and begins to lean forward, trying to put him back down. Instead, Gabriel stops her by extending a hand towards her. He looks at her and smiles as he fully pulls his body upright and rests his back against the head of the medical bed.

"Jesse…" Reyes begins, yet pauses as he takes a deep breath. "…McCree. Where is he?"

The doctor smiles, "Don't worry Commander. The entire Blackwatch squad is safe. Some were wounded, including McCree – but they will survive. Their wounds pail in comparison to yours Commander."

Gabriel shakes his head.

"Please. Call me Gabriel – I'm not your Commander." His expression winces as the scorching pain across his wounds continue to persist.

Angela could see the small expressions of pain patterned on his face and decided to do something about it.

"I'll be back Comm- Gabriel."

"Hm, alright." Gabriel replies as he quietly watches the blonde walk out the room and the doors sliding behind her. He looks out the window to see the sun slowly dawning. The rays of sunlight invading through the blinds and landing over his lap. Through the slits of the blinds he could see the beautiful courtyard infront of Overwatch's main compound – right next to the tall, erected statue of Morrison.

 _"_ _Switzerland has never been more perfect. Maybe she's native to this place. Swiss."_

A few minutes passed and Gabriel could hear the clicking of high heels approaching his bay. The doors slide open - Angela and two nurses walked inside, each holding a tray comprising of different food and beverages.

"What is this…?" Reyes asked solemnly.

"Well…the I thought you might be hungry. So the department and I thought we'd bring you something. We weren't sure what to bring you, so we brought what we could."

His eyes narrowed – the pain constantly snagged at him. He wasn't sure if he was even in the mood for eating. That was until his nose picked up a vibrant and pleasant smell.

"Mm, alright. What do you have?"

"Well…" Angela began turning her head towards one of the nurse, "Veronica has a plate with several pieces of toast with butter as well as some orange juice."

She turned her head to the other nurse, "Catherine has some beef stew, made it herself. Best in the department."

Gabriel catches a whiff of the stew; his face instantly cringes and closes his eyes. It stunk – his appetite instantly turned sour. Best in the department? What a joke.

Then Angela pauses.

Reyes opens his eyes to see her fluster a little bit before she opens her mouth again.

"W-well. Then here's something I prepared. It's not the best, but I also prepared some toast with a side of bacon and eggs."

He turns his head and sniffs the air – that was the smell which stirred his appetite, it was beautiful.

"I've also taken the liberty to prepare some honey tea as well. It will help with your pain."

Instantly, after Angela finished her sentence – Gabriel pointed at her tray.

"I'll take yours. Whatever makes the pain go away."

The doctor was taken back at the immediate response, but she turned to the two nurses and nodded – they both nodded back with a smile and made their way out of Reyes' bay. Slowly, Angela walked over to his bedside and gently placed the tray against his lap.

Gabriel used his uninjured arm to pick up the metal fork next to the plate of toast and began to eat. His hazel eyes lit up, it was delicious – quickly he dug his fork into another piece of bacon and scooped it along with some egg. Before he knew it, he had completely cleaned the plate of bacon and eggs. He placed his fork down and picked up the slice of toast, scoffing it down in several bites.

Angela watched with an embarrassed look, yet smiled as he clearly enjoyed the food. Gabriel looked at her as he picked up the cup of honey tea.

"Absolutely delicious Doctor Ziegler. You cooked this yourself?"

The doctor nodded with a flustered smile, "Yes I did, but I've only had minimal experience with hospitality. And please…Angela is fine."

Reyes gives a small smile after taking a sip from the sweet tea.

"Well Angela. You continue to surprise me. Academic, resourceful and a good cook? I couldn't think of anyone better to be head of Medical Research."

The blonde doctor giggles, holding her hand up to her mouth in order to control her small sniggers from bursting into laughter.

"Hmph." Gabriel smiles. It felt good, to make someone laugh. It felt good to have company that doesn't consider him as a 'snake', or a 'deviant backstabber'. Afterall – that was all Blackwatch was good for. To infiltrate, execute and don't even exist. This doctor, they really didn't converse much before – maybe they've seen each other from time to time whilst traversing through Overwatch's compound, but maybe this might be the start to s restricted friendship.

His eyes look towards the bright red scarf wrapped around her neck. It looked familiar to say the least, but he never bore much thought towards it.

"Cute scarf." He said solemnly, "Where'd you get it?"

Angela looks down. Her expression turns somber. "It was my mother's scarf. Something I could remember her by before she…"

Reyes held out his arm, stopping her from going on, "I think I understand. I'm sorry for your loss, I'm aware of your origin – and believe me, you have my condolences. No one should have their parents taken away from them like that."

Angela wipes her eyes and shakes her head, brandishing her sorrow with a smile. "I suppose. But it's a prime reminder of why I do this – why I became a doctor. To help people in need."

"Using what hurts you most to keep you forward? Hm, admirable. If Blackwatch had soldier's with your sort of persistence – well, things would be much easier."

Angela pauses and raises an eyebrow towards him. "With respect Gabriel. I don't approve your division's or Overwatch's tactics towards handling operations."

Reyes raises an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Subterfuge and upfront military presence and activity is not the direction towards a better future. If anything – it only gets people anxious."

"Subterfuge is what Blackwatch was made for Angela. And if anything – military presence is meant to be acting as a peacekeeping force…that's what _Overwatch_ was made for these days."

Angela shakes her head yet shrugs, "You do whatever you think is right, don't you?"

Gabriel nods, "Don't we all?" His eyes dart towards the clock on the other side of the room, "I hope I'm not holding you up or anything – you must have a lot more patients whom require more attention than me."

Angela looks towards the clock and shakes her head, "No, you're not holding me up – McCree and the others are fine. Your wounds were probably the most severe. However you do need some rest. If you need anything else from me you can call a nurse that walks in here for me and I'll be here as quick as I can."

Reyes nods as he begins to slowly settle his back down to the mattress of his bed. Angela helps to raise the blankets up to his chest and begins to walk out of the room.

"Doc." His voice caused her to stop and turn.

She sees him looking at her with a smile, "I hope that you'll patch me up the next time I find myself in a fix."

Angela returns the bright smile, "And you can count on me to do so Comman- Gabriel."

"Then it's a deal." Reyes says as he looks up to the ceiling.

 _"_ _I think I just found my guardian angel."_

* * *

 **Present Day, Oasis Medical Center 11:34pm**

A quiet exhale of pure contentment was all that could be heard inside the small military tent stationed just outside the technological metropolis of Oasis. A doctor slowly placed a scroll alongside a feather inside her medical satchel and begins to make her way to the flaps of the medical tent. As she peeks her head from the entrance of the tent she instantly shivers and goes back inside. The deserts of the Middle East certainly change in essence towards the time of day.

She grabs looks around and sees a bright red scarf hanging around her desk. She smiles towards it and wrapped it around her neck. She goes back outside, slightly warmer than before and looks around the field. It seemed that she was the only one who was working late, but it didn't matter. The sooner she went back into the city, the sooner she could take a warm shower.

Mercy made her way through the sector of military tents, constantly looking over her shoulder. She felt as if something was watching her. She stopped and turned. Nothing seemed to be tailing her, a slight breeze brushed past her face and specks of sand landing at the corner of her mouth. She narrowed her eyes but soon dismissed the thought as she wiped away the sand and began to turn around. She took several more steps but soon she softens her pace, she raises her scarf around her mouth and peers over her shoulder.

She could definitely hear something behind her – every time she moved, she could hear a whisp. After a few more steps, Angela instantly turned around. Nothing was seen. Only the distant breeze of the Middle Eastern desert could be heard. She begins to grow anxious; her breathing starts to jump – the thumping of her heart beating against her chest. She stood there for a few more seconds. Then she turns.

.

Then she runs.

She runs down the path leading to the city's entrance. She already left the premises of military and hospital tents. She looks over her shoulder and her pace slowly draws to a halt. She begins to pant, sweat already beginning to run down her back. Angela surveys the area in front of her, there was still nothing. Maybe she was just paranoid, tired from all the patients she had to see. Nevertheless, the city was not far.

She takes one final breath, closes her eyes and turns her heel – walking down the path. As she opens her eyes it was already too late before she bumps into something, forcing her a few steps back. She rubs her head and looks forward, the dark silhouette of a man was standing in front of her.

"Oh, my apologies." She manages to say, brushing off any hesitation. Though it did come to her mind how it was strange anyone would be outside the city during these hours. She looked at the dark figure, he wasn't moving nor speaking.

"Um, sir? Are you leaving the city? Or are you looking for it? Oasis is just over ther-"

The figure begins to emerge into the moonlight, revealing a man she knew too well. A black trenchcoat, sharpened gauntlets and the pale white mask dawned over his face.

"You…you're the…the Reaper." Mercy staggers back, fear gripping her core to the point where she trips on her heel and lands on her backside. The cloaked silhouette glided slowly towards her. As he pushed forward – Angela desperately crawls backwards.

"What- What do you want from me?" Mercy croaks. She stops as her nails begin to dig into the sand. The man stops and turns his head, a small-disoriented chuckle emerges from behind his mask.

"Hmph, what do you think? I'm here for you. _Doc_."

"Tch. You bastard. Picking off Overwatch agents finally directed you here…for me."

"That's right doctor." The Reaper said with a scratched tone, "Though you were a pain in the ass to find, _you_ were the one I was most looking forward to."

"And why's that?"

The hooded mercenary paused and tilted his head as he was looking down at the vulnerable doctor.

"Lets just say you and I have some…past conflicts that need to be resolved."

"Past conflicts? Who- who are you?"

"Relax doc, I'm not here to simply kill you. No, that's too simple. First you're going to answer for everything. For _this_."

"Answer for everything? What are you talking about?"

Clearly frustrated and angry, Reaper bent down and grabbed Angela by the coat – lifting her up to her feet with one swift motion. She could feel his warm breath run down her face as it fumed from his mask.

"Don't tell me you forgot!" He roared into her face, " _I_ should be the fucking failure that haunts you in your dreams! You should be begging for my forgiveness!"

Angela reels from the volume he spouted. However it didn't take her long to pause – look into the hollow pits of his mask and widen her eyes.

"You…I- I buried you."

Reaper pulls her closer towards him, the hollow pits of his mask practically meeting her deep blue eyes.

"I trusted you Angie…I trusted you."

"Gabriel…I."

She paused when the whirring of a Talon hovership could be heard in the distance. Reaper turns towards the vehicle and chuckles.

"Don't worry doc. You'll answer for everything soon enough."

The hovership lands beside them with a thud. The door opens with Talon operators disembarking and surrounding the two.

Reaper barks his orders, "Secure the area. You two – take the doctor to the ship. Quickly, we don't have all night."

The operatives did as they were told. Two operatives grabbed Angela by each of her arms and began to tug her towards the hovership. The doctor resists, frantically throwing her arms and kicking one of the operatives in the kneecap – causing him to curse.

"This bitch!"

Reaper growled at their incompetence, "Idiots. Just knock her out." He walks over and plummets the butt of his hellfire shotgun across her head. Her body falls and Reaper catches her with his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. He hauls her body over his shoulder and begins to make his way towards the Talon hovership. The rest of the Talon operatives begin to embark on the vehicle, Reaper and his captive being the last to board.

The wraith felt something fall at the end of his boot, he pauses and looks to the ground. He looks back up and orders one of the behind operatives to come back.

"Take her and bring her to the safe house. I have unfinished business here."

"Roger that." The operative replied as he took the unconscious doctor from the wraith and embarked on the hovership. Reaper steps away from the vehicle and watches as the hovership begins to slowly heat it's engines and zip into the horizon. Reaper slowly looks down to the floor. His eyes glisten with a sense of reminiscence as he bends down and picks up a bright red scarf that was covered in sand.

His claws wrap tightly around the material as he held it close to his face.

"Angela…I've finally _found you_."


	2. Tabs (ReaperxSombra)

**Oasis, 01:59am**

Reaper brushes the sand off his trenchcoat as he slowly walks towards the Talon hovership infront that landed infront of him. He watches as the door drops to the ground, standing on the entrance was a curious hacker with purple streaks in her hair, impatiently standing with one hand on her hip and her left foot tapping the steel floor beneath her.

The wraith darts a cold stare towards the hacker as he gradually makes his way up the ramp and stands next to her. She looks up at him, clearly about to scold him.

"What took you so long?!"

Reaper grunts and looks to the side as the woman continues to berates him, "It was one simple task. One! And it takes you nearly two hours to do it?" Reaper wasn't listening, he simply kept quiet and begins to reach into his coat while the woman still rattled on. His clawed gauntlet gradually pulled out a disc and held it out towards the woman. She instantly stopped and gleamed with a smile.

"Perfect!" She squealed, snatching the disc from the wraith and looking at it with admiration.

"Sombra…are you sure the data on that disc disables the majority of the security systems at Helix?"

She swiftly brushes her hair to the side as the movement of the hovership begins to gradually take off the ground.

"I know so, Oasis is the foundation of technology no?"

Reaper nods solemnly, "And?"

"With that technology, comes knowledge. With that knowledge – comes money." Sombra replied as she held the disc with two sharp claws.

"Be careful with that!" Reaper growled, "One scratch and the whole thing will be scrapped!"

Sombra rolled her eyes and stared at the wraith, "You have no idea how discs work do you? Relajate, it's in good hands. It would be in even better hands after I run this bad boy and _you_ can execute the rest of the plan."

"And you're sure that the security systems would be deactivated by the time I get there?" Sombra looked at the towering wraith with a sense of annoyance. He was persistent, she had to give him that – but she was annoyed at how he seemed to be doubting her abilities. Doubting her abilities was something she was not used to.

"Listen…by the time you get there, you'll be fine. Comprendes?"

"Hmph, right." Reaper said as he begins to lurk further into the interior of the Talon hovership. Sombra's eyes trace his steps, watching as he effortlessly takes a seat. Tired herself, she walks towards him and sits across him. Reaper faces her with a confused tilt to his head. To be fair, they never really conversed outside of operations – now being the first time they've run out of subjects in regards to missions, targets and plans.

In situations like these, it would've been wise to keep quiet until the course was completed – but Sombra intends to push. After all, that was what she was good at.

"What took you so long to get this thing anyway?" Sombra asked as she displayed several purple holographic screens and placed the disc aside.

Reaper pauses for a moment, leaning his back against the chair and folding his arms before replying.

"I didn't want to attract unnecessary attention. I had to retrieve it quietly, otherwise the entire city would be alerted to my presence."

"So you think two hours is a suitable time to complete a 'quiet' mission, hm?"

Reaper groaned, annoyed and distasteful. "If you wanted it done quickly I don't see why you shouldn't have gone instead Sombra."

The hacker shrugged, "I was busy." Sombra swiped away the holographic screens, disappearing into thin purple particles.

Reaper leaned forward, "…With what?" Sombra smirked as she also leaned forward, the distance between the two drastically closed. She found herself face to face with a mercenary, a killer and a Talon council member – to talk to him like this was fun, bringing him down to her level was a thrill. Using men like Reaper was a practice – but for Reaper in particular, he was a challenge.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Private business Gabe. I can call you Gabe right?"

Sombra winces her expression after she spoke those words, expecting him to lash out – scold her, berate her, _grab_ her. Instead, to her surprise – Reaper sits quietly with both his arms resting over his knees. He pulls back to the point where his back rests on the back support of his seat. With a surprisingly calm (yet raspy) voice, Reaper spoke.

"What are you up to…what are you playing at?"

The hacker licks her teeth, smiling towards him. "I have no idea what you're talking about Gabe. What's the matter? Don't you trust me?"

Reaper scoffed, turning his head and folded his arms. Sombra was laid back, placing her hands behind her head and lifting her legs up so that they were situated ontop of the metallic desk, bolted into the surface of the ground. She had obtained a sense of satisfaction, knowing that Reaper (or anyone for that matter) didn't trust her as well as having reason to distrust her. But the thing she reveled in most of all, was her knowing that they would never have concrete evidence to convict her.

Her eyes sparkled as they latched onto a piece of red cloth, hanging from the pocket of the wraith's trenchcoat. With an arched eyebrow she leaned forward and propped a question.

"Say, what's in your pocket?"

Reaper looks down at his coat, grumbling as he silently poked the red cloth completely inside his pocket. He looks up at Sombra, and almost as if he was mocking her, responds with her own words.

"Private business Sombra. You wouldn't want to pry."

Sombra notices the wraith's body tensing and laughs, "Prying is what I do best Gabe. You really shouldn't tempt me."

"You go anywhere near me, I swear – you will regret it."

Unimpressed, Sombra rests her head on her hand and scoffs, "Really? Is that all you can say? Gabe, Gabe, Gabe – I have so much information on you, you have no idea what I could do to you. Your involvement with Overwatch, your failures in _Blackwatch_ , your jealousy with a certain Morrison, and don't get me started on those you hold dear-"

She stopped as Reaper stood up in a frenzy, his body leaning over the table and his firm arms reaching out. He grabs her by the velvet vest and ferociously drags her body towards him. Stunned and unresponsive, Sombra finds herself in the clutches of the Reaper, her legs and feet laying over the metallic table.

"I won't repeat myself anymore Sombra! Keep your nose out of my business or you'll regret it!"

Violently, he throws her back to her seat. Sombra lands against the back of the seat, her hands massaging her neck and chest. Her stare turns cold, yet burned with passion. He knew how to stir a girl's ire, maybe that's what she adored about him.

"Alright tough guy." Sombra says casually as she flips her hair to the side and crosses her legs – as if nothing happened. "Have it your way. I'll keep my distance and you can relax. How about it Gabe?"

" ** _Don't_** call me Gabe." Reaper darts death's look. Sombra was beginning to understand that she was pushing him to the brink, it was time to stop – her fun has already ended.

"Alright Reaper…how about it?"

"Stay…away…from…me." Each word was strained with a dire tone. Sombra shrugs, affirming that his answer was a simple 'yes'. She decides to stop it there, her fun was already exhausted and she was beginning to take severe risks. Even she knew it wasn't wise to him off. She smiles one more time before turning her head to the side and remained silent. Reaper does the same.

The mere sounds of rumbling engines drowns out the eerie silence that hung amongst them. And for Sombra's sake – it was probably for the best.

* * *

 **Unknown Location, 2:43am**

The hovership lands and the ramp begins to plummet to the ground. Sombra stands up and stretches her arms upwards – making her tip her toes and let out a relieved sigh. She makes her way towards the ramp and begins to make her way towards the Talon safehouse not far ahead of her. Reaper follows her but stops at the edge of the entrance.

"That disc better do its job Sombra…and you better get it decrypted in time."

Sombra pauses and slowly turns around, annoyed and irritated. "If you're so worried that it doesn't work, why don't you just wait here and wait until I get it done. Instead of rushing out like a madman."

"Doomfist doesn't like to wait…"

"Then _make_ him wait." Sombra replied with a stern tone.

Reaper, taken back at her sudden hostility, succumbed to her heed. He paused, looking back at the pilot then turning his head to once more face the bright hacker infront of him. He decided to treat her request.

"Fine…" He said grudgingly. He begins to slowly walk off the ramp and standing next to Sombra.

"I knew you would see it my way." She said with a cheeky smile, turning her back and walking along the path towards the safehouse. The two begin to approach the safehouse, where Reaper catches the hovership that delivered his prize successfully. As they approached the entrance, a Talon guard opened the door for the of them and spoke to Reaper.

"Sir, she's in the interrogation chamber. If you don't mind my saying, the other's are getting…unreasonable."

Reaper turns to face the soldier, "Did any of you touch her?"

"No sir, primarily because of you. They're afraid of what you might think."

"And they're right to be afraid." Reaper responds with a dry tone. The two make their way inside and as they begin to part ways, Sombra raises a curious question.

"Who's 'she'?"

Reaper scowls, "Get the disc decrypted ASAP. Besides, it's none of your business."

Sombra shrugs and makes her way to her designated room – doing what she does best. Reaper knows that she will do whatever it takes to find out who he has in the interrogation chamber, he makes his way down to the interrogation chamber and speaks to the guards there.

"Keep Doctor Ziegler's cell on lockdown at all times. No one gets in or out except for providing her food."

The guards acknowledge his order.

"Do you want to see her now sir?" One of the guards ask.

Reaper stops and looks down the endless corridors of dark cells – only one of the rooms was lit with a light. He shakes his head.

"No, not yet."


	3. Sentimental (ReaperxS76)

**Egypt, 03:44am**

It was tantalizing. To see one lit up cell down a dark corridor of empty rooms – Reaper knowing that inside that one lit room, housed his most preserved prize. The woman who ruined him, the one who betrayed him and the one who left him to rot. But no, not yet – she can stay there for a little bit longer. Reaper had just received word of something more intriguing. He wasn't sure if it was true or a prank from Sombra, but while she was encrypting the disc Reaper had extracted from Oasis – she had discovered something in the mean time that certainly peaked the wraith's interest.

Supposedly one of Sombra's 'phantom surveillance systems' alerted her of a presence that was irregular. Once Sombra had called the wraith over to what she had discovered, he pauses abruptly for a few seconds before curling his fists and turning around – requesting a hovership to pick him up. Sombra raises an eyebrow but isn't surprised as she turns her seat around towards her screen, depicting the blurred yet obvious display of the back of a man…with a tattered '76' at the back of his jacket.

Reaper knew exactly what this man was headed towards. He'd been perched on a cliff overlooking an old Overwatch intelligence outpost – long abandoned after the events of Switzerland, his eyes scanning the sand dunes and observed the road that led up to the abandoned outpost. The moonlight was all he had to illuminate the field infront of him, though while he was observing – he was also thinking.

 _"_ _Now what does he want here?"_

From memory, Reaper did not recall the exact function for the outpost nor did he know what was exactly inside. It was predictable. It was too easy to know how this man worked, after all – that can apply to anyone who has had a bond as close as _they_ did.

Reaper begins to grow impatient. He's been overlooking the outpost for nearly two hours and there was no sign of the person he was looking for. Well, he was last sighted en route to the outpost and Reaper made sure he was in a position to ambush him before he made it. Deterred and tired, Reaper leans back from his crouched position and holds his posture with both of his hands palmed against the ground behind him.

Slowly beginning to lose faith in Sombra's information, Reaper scowls and starts to call in a pick up dropship. As he turned his head, he pauses and catches the movement of a limp flag – stationed. The light breeze of the eastern desert pushed the flag further – revealing its full display. A dark blue flag with the Overwatch symbol plastered in its center was all he could see, full of holes and scratches. Reaper scowled at the sight, having no love left for the fallen organisation. But soon, his eyes drew towards the symbol, sparking the sense of reminiscence.

 _"_ _Hmph. Always were a boy scout."_

* * *

 **Switzerland, Pre-Dissolution, Post – Omnic Crisis**

"Gabe!"

A hard pat behind his back nearly caused Reyes to jump out of his seat, which disoriented him a bit as he was enjoying the sun setting beneath the horizon, the orange rays of the sun splashed over the fields of Headquarter's courtyard.

Gabriel turned his head and looked up to find a bright young man smiling down at him, a medal pinned to his chest and a newly decorated insignia holding the rank of 'Commander' plastered against his navy blue military sleeve. Reyes narrowed his eyes slightly but smiled as he stood up from his seat and extended his hand towards the young man.

"Congratulations Jack. If anyone deserved the promotion…it would be you."

But instead of shaking his hand, Jack smirked and shook his head – letting his arms out and walked towards Gabriel. Reyes widens his eyes as he discovers that Jack enveloped his arms around him, hearing Jack laugh against his ear.

"Don't be so modest Gabe. We've done it! The Omnic Crisis is over!"

Gabriel winced at his actions but merely shook his head and patted Jack on the back. The two men broke from their embrace but soon, Jack wrapped an arm around Gabriel's shoulder and begins to guide him towards the exit.

"Come on, how about we meet the others for dinner?"

Gabriel groaned as he pulled away from Jack's arm, "Argh, not sure if I want to."

"Why not?" Jack asked as gave him a concerned look.

"I just…don't feel well. That's all."

Jack sighed as he approached Gabriel, "Look, I know that you weren't always a fan of gatherings. But come on. It won't be the same if _everyone_ in Overwatch isn't there."

Gabriel stood there emotionless; his back turned towards the soldier. Jack walks up behind him and places his hand against Gabriel's shoulder but he immediately shrugs it off.

"Sorry Jack…it's not the gathering or the others."

Jack looked at him, confused. "Then…what's wrong?"

Gabriel looked over his shoulder towards him. He paused, no words spoken. The silence hung in the air a little bit longer until Reyes took a deep breath and spoke.

"I'm…being demoted. The UN saw it fit to use my talents elsewhere."

"What do you mean? Elsewhere? You're not leaving Overwatch are you?"

"Hmph. Not exactly – but close."

"What do you mean Gabriel?"

Reyes sighed as he sat back down on his chair and looked out the large window infront of him. The orange rays of the sun beginning to set and the stars finally revealing themselves against a darker, patterned sky.

"It's meant to be classified but…I guess you should know now rather than later. _Blackwatch_ they call it. The covert ops of Overwatch. We go in, and we go out – with our missions accomplished."

Reyes turns his head towards Jack, narrowing his eyes. His mouth stern as he spoke every syllable in his sentence, "We aren't even meant to exist."

Morrison stood there like a stump. Not moving.

"Blackwatch? What's the point?"

"Classified Jack…not even I know what it is yet. Not sure if I even want to know."

"Well, there has to be someone in charge of it. Who's the commander of it?"

Gabriel smirked, darting a cold look towards him. "You're looking at him."

Morrison shook his head, slowly walking to the seat across Gabriel and sat down.

"So…" Jack stammered looking up at Reyes, "You won't be around for regular Overwatch process?"

Gabriel shook his head, "I'll be in the newly established Blackwatch quarter next week. You won't see me around too often."

The two men sat there, quiet. Unsure of what to do from this point on. The friendship that was established between them would suddenly tear apart. Blackwatch and Overwatch would be two competitive factions in the ultimate scheme of things. Jack looked at Gabriel, and Gabriel looked back. Their eyes met, the mixed feeling of sadness and understanding was shown through Morrison's pale blue eyes. However Gabriel's only depicted the feeling of pain and betrayal – hidden by his warm hazel ones.

"I heard they were building a statue of you in front of headquarters."

"So I've heard."

"You should really be more happy Jack. If the UN thought that Overwatch would be better in your hands, then you should really smile more – after all, your face will be everywhere now."

"Gabriel. Have they told you _why_ they transferred you?"

Gabriel smirked as he leaned back in his chair. "Hmph, mhm. 'Brutal', 'merciless' and 'unconventional' tactics."

Jack was going to remark yet Gabriel stands up and extends his arm – stopping him from speaking.

"Forget it, I don't intend to ruin the ceremony with my attitude. Go on Jack, I'm sure Ana, Reinhardt, Torbjörn and the others are worrying where you are right now. I need to prepare for tomorrow."

As Reyes begins to turn and walk away, he feels something grab his arm – stopping him dead in his tracks. He turns and looks over his shoulder, with a bright Commander latching his hand onto his arm, his eyes demanding attention.

"No Gabriel. You're one of us. Transferred or not."

"Jack-" He was stopped mid-sentence as Morrison dragged him along behind him towards the exit.

At first Reyes tried to stop him and pull away. But as they gradually reached the doors to Overwatch Headquarters, Gabriel realised that no matter how much he persisted – in the end, _he_ will always be there to convince him otherwise.

Gabriel smiled, "Alright Morrison…lead the way."

The two men disappeared through the doors and on their way towards the ceremony.

* * *

Reaper was snapped back into reality as the loud snapping of chains was heard near the abandoned Overwatch outpost. A distant figure, shrouded in the darkness of light, was only identified with a bright red visor cutting through the darkness and immediately alerting the wraith to someone he had longed to face once more.

" ** _Jack…_** "

The wraith dematerializes into his shadowy form and begins to lurk closer and closer towards the abandoned Overwatch outpost, closer and closer – behind the man he wants dead.

Once he arrived at the outpost, he noticed the chains that were preventing entry into the outpost were snapped, the links scattered across the floor. Reaper looked around, noticing that ahead of him the door was swung wide open. With an eager growl, Reaper dematerializes once more and glides through the entrance to the outpost. Inside, he notices several Overwatch flags – torn from their poles. The reception desk was smashed; bits of wood, glass and destroyed technology littered the ground around him.

Reaper comes out of his mist form and walks towards the desk. He kneels down and notices boot prints left behind by smudges of sand. The prints eventually wore out yet the wraith could clearly trace the steps running towards the stairs leading up to the second floor of the outpost. He turned and looked up as the brash sounds of clattering and movement echoed throughout the compound. Instantly dematerializing, Reaper lurks up the stairs to find broken glass and old holotapes scattered across the floor. In one of the archive rooms ahead of him, several more holotapes were thrown outside followed by a loud roar.

"Damn it! There has to be something here!"

Reaper hugged the wall and slowly crept towards the door with the word ' **ARCHIVES** ' hung above it. As he was about to peer inside the door, he instantly retracted as a holotape was flung towards his direction, watching it smash against the ground and bursting into separate parts. Reaper looks inside, watching as the figure roamed around the room, opening file after file. There was no mistaking it. A bright red visor, greying hair and a visible rifle strapped against his back.

"Fuck!" The figure cursed, standing up suddenly and throwing one more holotape towards the door. Yet the figure paused and turned his head, not hearing the holotape burst into pieces – nor hitting the floor. Silence hung inside the room as two figures stared each other, one motionless and still – the other having a holotape tight in his grasp.

The silence hung for a little bit longer until the rasped voice from the wraith broke the eerie atmosphere.

"I knew you'd be here…" Reaper's claws tightened around the holotape – his grip coiling it to the point where it was crushed. "…Jack."

The Soldier made no remark, instead resorting instantly to action. He quickly reached for the rifle strung behind his back – quick for his age, but no avail as the superior form of the wraith dominates him in the end. Reaper wraith's towards him, clouding his opponent with black smog before instantly appearing infront of him. Before the Soldier can even react, Reaper dashed infront of him, in mere seconds he found himself face to face with the man he loathed, his red visor illuminating his pale white mask.

Reaper jabbed his forearm across the Solder's throat and pinned him against the file cabinet behind him. With a low growl and a desperate attempt in freeing himself, the Soldier cranked his knee into Reaper's torso. Reaper flinched in clear pain but soon laughs it off as he grabs the Soldier by the jacket, pulls him up and slams him against the cabinet with a much harder force.

"You were a fool to come here alone Jack."

With that, the wraith turned his hips, his arms followed – throwing the fatigued soldier to the ground, his rifle separating from his back and slid across the ground. The Soldier growled, slowly clambering towards his rifle. Once he approached to the butt of his weapon, he was stopped as a hard boot stepped onto his hand – causing him to scream in pain.

Reaper knelt down and picked up the rifle. With a mellow chuckle, the wraith threw it outside the door and lowered himself to the point where his mask was next to his ear.

"Ana won't be around to save you this time." A clawed gauntlet pulls out one of the wraith's Hellfire shotguns and places the barrel against the Soldier's temple.

"You've been quiet, not even going to say hello?"

The Soldier remained silent – yet his heavy breathing accommodated his silence.

"Persistant till the end huh? Doesn't matter – I'll take your last words as a simple 'Fuck you'."

As the wraith seemed hellbent to pulling the trigger. He paused as he could hear muffled laughs coming from his opponent.

"You think this is funny? Hmph, well laugh all you want – at least I know you died crazy."

"You're so blind Gabriel."

"Huh?"

"You don't see the bigger picture do you? In here, I could finally find out what happened all those years ago – at Switzerland. But you're willing to let that slide? As far as I'm concerned, I'm the only one with a lead."

"Don't try to convince me to spare your life with that last minute excuse. I could care less about what happened at Switzerland – I'm only satisfied with your death."

"Then do it…"

Reaper hesitated. He was right there. Kill him. But what if he was telling the truth? Reaper himself was curious in regards to the events at Switzerland. What was he thinking?

 _"_ _Just kill him dammit. Pull the trigger!"_

Reaper's arm shook. His finger constantly tagged the trigger but only just stopped before enough force was applied to it.

 _"_ _Pull. The. Trigger!"_

"You can't do it. You never did finish the job, did you _Gabe?_ "

Reaper became outraged, finally convincing himself to pull the trigger. However the decision was made too late. The Soldier freed his arm from the floor and crossed his elbow across the wraith's face – knocking his mask off and letting his hand free from his boot. The Soldier shot up and dashed for his rifle, diving for it and prepped it towards the Reaper. Reaper with his hand covering his exposed face growled, the Soldier fired his helix rockets – causing the Reaper to dive to the side.

The rockets exploded behind him catching the holotapes on fire and eventually spreading to other pieces of technology – eventually igniting the whole room. The Soldier steps inside the room in an attempt to finish the wraith off, but pauses as the fire burns ferociously. He peers inside, watching as the wraith slowly stands up – his hand still covering his exposed face. He turns and runs – knowing that the outpost will burn to the ground.

Reaper growled as he finds his mask amidst the flames and quickly fumbles it back onto his face. He looks around, completely surrounded by burning flames. He looks up, noticing that the smoke was ascending into a vent. He smiled, going into his wraith form he glides through the vent and finds himself at the roof of the outpost. He comes out of his wraith form and walks towards the edge of the roof. Accompanied by the brightness of the moonlight – he watched as a dark figure run further and further into the distance and eventually disappearing into the sand dunes.

"Damn it!" Reaper slams his fist into the stand and sighs. He leaps off the roof and lands into ground – the sand cushioning the impact. He stands up and calls for a pick up at his location, only to immediately receive a call from Sombra.

"What is it?"

"Did you deal with your Overwatch buddy?"

"No…he slipped away."

"Niiice…anyway, the decryption's done. You better make your way to HELIX soon. _He's_ waiting."

"Fine…" Reaper replied with a growl, ending the call and awaited his pickup.

* * *

As the ramp fell to the ground, Reaper stood at the entrance to the hovership – welcoming an nearly forgotten member to Talon.

"You're late."

"I was delayed…lets get going."

The ship flew the air for several minutes, the two Talon council members discussed the botched mission in Russia, the intentions of Sombra, the accomplishments of Widowmaker and the missed opportunities of the London Uprising – it came to Reaper's operation in Gibraltar.

"…I retrieved part of the Overwatch database. I've already taken a few names off the list."

Doomfist darted his eyes to the side, eying the wraith through his mask – asking a calm question, yet demanded an answer.

"Morrison and Amari?"

Reaper croaked, "No, not yet."

As if mocking Reaper, Doomfist showed a small smile and watched him through narrowed eyes.

"I hope you're not feeling _sentimental_."

Reaper paused and looked at the man infront of him. Both angry and insulted – he didn't appreciate anyone who assumed his standing in his own business. Before Reaper answered, he remembered something. Something he longed to forget.

"Gabriel…you stress too much over the slightest things. You should relax."

"And how do I do that Jack? The Omnic Crisis isn't something that one should just 'take slow'. It's something that needs to be addressed immediately."

"I understand that." Gabriel feels a hand clasp over his shoulder. He turns his head and looks into the warm blue eyes of his companion. No – his friend. No…his _brother_.

"Gabriel, you need to understand. _I_ want you to understand, that you're not alone in this world. Ana, Reinhardt, Torbjörn and event the new recruits are here. As long as Overwatch stands…"

Gabriel could feel him turn his body so that he could see him face to face.

"…I will be there as well."

Reaper looks at Doomfist. Doomfist looks back. The silence hung before Reaper took a deep breath and responds to Doomfist's statement.

" **No**."


	4. Monster (ReaperReaperxWidowmaker)

**Note: Reaper standalone chapter w/ ReaperxWidowmaker moment. Mostly Reaper standalone**

* * *

 **Northern Estate, Venice, Italy. Post – Masquerade, 2:37am**

"D-don't do this…please."

His armored claws tightened around the handle of his weapon – his arm slowly raising the barrel towards his targets head.

"I…" The target coughed, blood splurting from his mouth and into his cuffed hands, his suit was already torn from the running and the several bullet wounds that spread from his thighs to his lower waist were leaking his ever declining blood.

"I…I'll do anything. P-please! I never wanted to betray the Council. Vialli just brought up the subject of change!"

The masked shadow murmured beneath his breath, "It's nothing personal. You were just another liability."

"P-please! I have a fami…"

A loud bang roared throughout the estate. Then it was silent. Time seemed to slow down as the target's lifeless body slowly slid across the wall, plummeting to the ground with a lifeless thump. Through his mask he watched as the blood from his head oozed through the marble pavement. Time resumed into its normal state, the wraith letting out a deep breath which stained the courtyard's night air. Murdering a statesman in the middle of his own mansion. What a job, what a life worth _dying_ for.

His head peered over his shoulder; the shot of course woke the residents living inside that mansion. It didn't matter, the last of the Council traitors were dealt with. It was surprising that the people hear them earlier from the chase he had to go through in order to track him down. The Reaper deteriorated into a soft shadow and repositioned himself on the roof of the mansion. The doors busted open, butlers and maids rushing out to the dead corpse who was once their master. Reaper peered over his shoulder and scoffed.

"This was a waste of my time…" His heavy boots slowly began to trudge forward.

" **Daddy!** "

Reaper stopped and slowly turned his body back and looked down on the courtyard. A young woman accompanied by a small girl slowly walked towards the body.

"Don't look Amanda!" The woman would cry, shielding the child's eyes and encouraging her to turn away – it was obviously the statesman's wife. Reaper's eyes glanced towards the small girl in her arms…it was obviously the statesman's daughter, no more than twelve he'd guess. The girl broke from her mother's arms and rushed towards her father's body, kneeling in the pool of blood and sobbing against his chest.

"Daddy…please don't leave me. Y-you were supposed to take me to the park tomorrow…p-please."

The mother instantly picked up the weeping child, her eyes sharing the same painful cries.

"It's ok Amanda…" She lied through her teeth.

Reaper narrowed his eyes, gently lowering himself on one knee and looked down at the two women, tears streaming down both their faces. He honestly didn't know what to think of this. That man was a corrupt bureaucrat who involved himself with a terrorist organisation, now he screwed himself over and got what he had deserved – Talon did justice in a way. But as he directed his gaze from the women, to the corpse lying infront of them – he grinded his teeth and his pupils turned lupine. That fucking corrupt scumbag of a human being had something even he doesn't have – people who cared about him.

Reaper paused, something didn't feel right in him. Realising what it was – he stood up and turned, escaping from the scene.

The girl sobbed into her mother's shoulder, only to look up to the roof as she felt she was being watched – the roof was empty, her eyes only catching the mere sight of the tail of a black trench coat disappearing into the roof.

"M-mum." She said as she sobbed.

The mother looked at her with teary eyes, "What is it Amanda?"

"I…I think I saw an Angel."

* * *

 **Venice, Italy. Talon Safehouse, 2:55am**

Reaper sat down on his chair, placing his hellfires on the table next to him and looked out the window, watching as the sirens belonging to both police and ambulance lights rush past the traffic lights and avoiding late night drivers. The wraith couldn't help but smirk, as he knew that the man inside one of those vehicles was already dead, if not – then already bled to death.

Realising that the peculiar feeling inside him persists, he begins to getup from his seat and walk towards his bathroom. He treaded across the wooden floorboards slowly in an attempt to not make too much noise as Sombra and Widowmaker resided close by in the rooms next to his. Not that it mattered too much in his opinion. Most likely Widowmaker would be adjusting her rifle until the next dawn and Sombra might not even be in the safehouse – probably conducting her own operations.

Reluctantly, he threw his gauntlets onto a chair next to his bed, next dismantling his armour and throwing his trenchcoat off his body and placing them neatly on the chair. He sat down on his bed and took off his boots before finally removing the pale white mask that was dawned over his face for nearly days. He placed them all over the chair and finally walks into the bathroom.

Once inside he hung the towel on a hook hanging from the door to the shower space and made his way infront of his mirror and sink. Tired and uncaring, Reaper turns the tap to the hot water and cups it into both of his hands, splashing it over his face – releasing a low and composed sigh. He raises himself up, turning the tap off and stared into the mirror – his reflection looking straight at him.

Through narrowed eyes, he hated what he saw. He turned his head, realizing that some of his scars on his left cheek had re-opened, leaking blood down his cheek and nestled into his beard. He swipes the blood away and turns his head once more, noticing that his toned skin on his right cheek begun to wither into a light gray tint.

"Fuck…" He murmured to himself. This is what usually happened when he's gone too long from feeding. Scars begin to open, skin begins to decay, eyes become bloodshot – and in one extreme case, parts of his body become black: into God knows what. Reaper never managed to find out what the last phase of his feeding neglect was, and he certainty doesn't intend to know at all.

Reaper takes off his black combat shirt and throws it idly to a nearby stand. His eyes glanced down his torso. He notices nothing across his pectorals, his arms and his abdomen. He tenses slightly as he looks into the mirror. His hair and beard turned from a dark brown to a toned silvery gray. Parts of his torso erode to the similar gray colour of his right cheek while other parts of his body continue to hold his former character.

"Gabriel Reyes…" Reaper says into the mirror as he watches the gray sectors spread sluggishly across his body – invading his toned skin. "What have you _become_?"

The gray spots stopped spreading and Reaper looked into the mirror – finding the empty shell of the man he once was. His body seemed to be completely decayed with the exception of his left arm, right pectoral and some parts of his abdomen. He looked into the mirror, his beard was gray with the exception of several strands retaining their dark brown colour – the same could not be said with the rest of his hair, having turned completely gray.

His face still preserved the dark tone of brown with the exclusion of his right cheek. He met the eyes of his reflection – bloodshot and lifeless.

"I should've drained that fucker when I had the chance…" His tongue slowly lurks over his teeth yet instantly pulls it back as he feels them prick his tongue. He opens his mouth, discovering that his once human teeth had emerged as fangs. His face flinched slightly as he felt the blood leak from his tongue and run through his teeth – ultimately landing back over his tongue. The copper taste of blood never irritated him before, but for some strange reason, at this moment in time – he couldn't help but despise it.

However his current form didn't matter as of now. He knew that right now was merely a moderate phase of his feeding neglect. A few more days without feeding, and he wouldn't even know what he would become. With a snarl, _Gabriel_ turns around and enters his shower space – trying to relieve his thoughts with a cool wash. As the water runs down his muscular body he couldn't help but close his eyes, look up at the showerhead and smile. Happiness was a luxury Gabriel could never afford – a sad truth in retrospect. But whenever he's alone, especially in his current state, he finds rare moments to reminisce, to wonder, to finally _think_.To actually think about the times when he was happy. When he actually had a family to look towards. A family that watched his back.

 _A family that would never abandon him._

Reyes blinked his eyes, looking down and turning off the water – swiping the residue off his face and stepped out of the space, drying himself off with the towel. He felt tired and run down, soon Doomfist would be a functioning member to the Talon Council once more – and operations will resume as they usually do. But tonight, Gabriel needed sleep.

Reyes glanced towards the mirror once more and looked infront of him yet paused. He slowly turns his head towards the mirror – fear beginning to crawl across his body. In his reflection, shadowy tendrils surrounded the wraith's body. His face was completely contorted, demonic eyes replaced his human ones – his jaw resembled the jaw of a shark, rows of long, sharp teeth armed against his gums. His entire body descended into a dark grey, bits of flesh and decaying muscle hung off his body.

Reyes looked into the reflection and the demonic reflection looked back – seemingly laughing at him.

"Don't…mock…me." Reyes murmured at the mirror. The demon increased its bellowing laughter, echoing into Gabriel's mind.

"Stop…laughing."

The demon did not heed, instead – it continued its laughter and slowly walked towards the edge of the mirror while Reyes was standing completely still, beginning to clamber out of the mirror. With narrowed eyes, Gabriel clenched his fist and spoke to himself once more.

"I will not…become you."

The reflection moved its figure closer to Reyes, it's many demonic, red eyes blinking erratically at him. Its long arm stretched out and extended its long claws towards Gabriel's face, it's echoing laughter drilled into his ears.

"DIE!" Gabriel roared, throwing his clenched fist towards the demonic figure and shattering the glass mirror behind it, pieces of glass spilling into the sink and some landing on the floor. Reyes blinked and the demonic reflection was gone. He looked at his body, plastered with the gray patches yet was thankfully accompanied by toned skin. He looked at one of the remaining shards left on the mirror infront of him, he had no demonic eyes yet they were still bloodshot. It didn't matter, he was still in his moderate neglect form – as long as that _thing_ did not take his character. He needed to feed soon if he wanted to get rid of these visions.

Reyes soon discovered that he was panting heavily and sweat was beginning to build along his back. Fear had not gripped him like this in a long time. It felt as if by looking at the demon in the mirror – his body was collapsing and what's left of his soul was being torn out of his core. Gabriel shook his head and raised his fist to look at it. Bits of glass had lodged its way into his knuckles and blood was dripping from the injuries. As soon as Gabriel tried to take the pieces out, a hard knock came to his door.

No doubt the booming shatter of glass was loud and most likely woke someone up. Most likely one of the Talon watchers checking to see what happened, yet the wraith couldn't be seen like this – not in his decaying state. Reyes quickly dries himself off and throws on his black combat attire before walking to the door. Maybe his face would scare the Talon watcher away and leave him in peace for the rest of the night.

As the wraith opened the door ever so slightly, expecting to scare the man away. He paused, surprised to find Widowmaker standing at his door with her arms crossed, sporting nothing but a navy blue nightgown over her curvy physique. Her hair was untied yet curled; allowing her long, spread hair to sprawl over her back. With a calm, yet cold voice she asked the wraith a question.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Gabriel, appalled at how calm she is – wondered about why she isn't deterred at all at his appearance yet realised that his room was in complete darkness, as a result shielding her from his form. He sighed shallowly and responded with a graveled tone, baring his sharp teeth.

"Sorry, guess I woke you up huh? I didn't know you even slept Larcroix. I…er. Had an accident."

Widowmaker stood there with an arched eyebrow and tapped her finger over her crossed forearms, unsatisfied with his answer.

"Accident? Hmph, absurdité." "I have nothing more to say about it Larcroix." Reyes responded harshly, making it clear he did intend to expand on the subject. Widowmaker stood there for a few more moments, eying the wraith down with her pure gold eyes and stern lips before shaking her head and confirming that the subject was not worth to ramble on about. As Widowmaker walked down the hallway back to her room, Gabriel called for her.

" _Amélie_ …"

She darted a cold look over her shoulder and clenched her fists. Gabriel, taken back by her sudden look of hostility, realised his mistake and corrected himself. "…Widowmaker." The woman turned around and folded her arms, impatiently waiting for what he had to say.

"Out of pure curiosity…" Reyes walks out of his room and exposes his face to the hallway light, clearly depicting his dying features on top of his normal saturated face. He motions his hand over his face, "…This."

As a test, Gabriel wanted to see what her reaction was to his grotesque sight, expecting her to wince in disgust or at least widen her eyes in shock. Yet the result was something completely different. Widowmaker stands there, undeterred and not moving a muscle. Her arms remained folded and her finger tapped on her forearm.

The wraith, surprised from her motionless reaction arched an eyebrow, "You're not…scared?"

Widowmaker straightens herself, "Why should I be?"

"So, when you're looking at this…this…monster. You're not scared?"

With a sigh, the woman slowly walks up the man and stands directly infront of him. Once more she parts her lips and speaks with her assassins tone.

"My heart does not beat. I do not feel the cold, even in the harshest conditions. I disregard the thought of anyone being 'close' to me. I do not feel regret nor pity to those I have killed, nor do I ever intend to. So when you ask me, why I'm not scared at looking at a 'monster'. Perhaps I should ask the same to you. Why aren't _you_ scared of the monster infront of _you_?"

Gabriel stood motionless; appalled at the degradation the woman put herself in.

"Why am I not scared? Because we're both monsters." With that, Widowmaker finally turns and makes her way towards her room. She pauses and makes one final remark.

"Also, you should clean the wounds on your hand. Blood isn't easy to wash from carpet." She walks into her room and closes the door behind her.

Reyes couldn't help but smile after her statement. In ways more than one, they are the same. Gabriel turns back towards his room, pulling out the shards of glass from his bloody knuckles, cleaning it in the process and finally makes his way to his comfortable bed.

 _"Hmph, tomorrow is a good opportunity to show Angela what she has done to me."_

Reyes turns his head to the side and falls into a deep slumber.


	5. Pain (ReaperxMercy)

**Chapter 5: Pain (ReaperxMercy)**

 **Talon safehouse - Cells, Unknown Location, 1:43pm**

For several days, Angela had wandered aimlessly inside her cell – beginning to become delusional as the flickering lightbulb that hung over her head was the only beacon of hope she could grasp onto. As each day passed, her surroundings grew colder – her bare feet shivering as they absorbed the cold tension coming off the stone floor.

Everyday, she would hear someone come to her cell at regulated times, opening the small hatch in the lower part of her cell door and placing down a bowl of revolting soup or at times, a fresh pair of clothes. Her clothes resembled nothing more than an inmate's jacket, the only difference being its pale grey colour and the Talon insignia displayed on the shoulder patch. While it was uncomfortable and distasteful to wear, it was surprisingly warmer than her sweater and lab coat combined.

This however didn't make her surroundings any better. The only necessity provided was a dirty toilet lingering at the corner of her cell as well as a steel table in the center with two chairs on opposite sides, the rest of the room was virtually empty, forcing the doctor to ultimately sleep on the stone cold floor. At times when she was awake, she would do nothing but cradle her fragile form against the wall and stare at her cell door, watching as the revolting soup gets placed in and after several minutes, an arm belonging to a Talon guardsman would reach in and take it back.

There was one instance where a guard came in to collect the bowl and found it hadn't been touched. The guard stormed inside her room and demanded that the woman finish it or he would force it down her throat. Nonetheless, Angela was too weak to fight the man, having been derived from food for days – ultimately she did as she was told and the guard laughed, taking the bowl from her hands and leaving her cell, locking the door behind him.

These days she was forced into eating that disgusting stuff, at times while she cradled against the wall she would burst into tears.

"Gabriel…" She whispered between sobs. "Why…why?"

In the end, what hurt her the most was her realisation that her one-time colleague and friend had become the creature who hunted and murdered former Overwatch agents – her colleagues, dead. The hatch to her cell opened and a bowl was placed down, the smell beginning to solidify its presence in her room. A voice from a guard called to her.

"When I come back, you better finish that muck. Otherwise you'll need to patch yourself up real good doc." He slams the hatch shut and his footsteps disappear into silence.

 _"_ _Fuck that."_ Angela thinks to herself, _"I'm not touching that scheisse ever again."_

She looks at the bowl, then urks away as the smell travels up to her nose. She refused to taste that crap ever again, she didn't care what they were going to do to her for disobeying them. She was going to make a stand.

After several minutes, Angela could hear a guards footsteps approaching her cell. The hatch opened and a disgruntled growl echoed into her room. The hatch was slammed shut and the doctor's cell door clicked, the Talon guardsman from before bursting inside.

"What did I tell you about finishing that mess?" He pointed at the bowl with his weapon. Angela stared at the guard, her face smudged with dirt and sand, her eyes teary yet held a hostile fire. She raised her head and spat at the guards feet. The guard, unamused, simply smirked behind his helmet and picked up the full bowl – its greenish contents swaying in the mucky soup.

"Don't say I didn't warn you bitch." He walked up to the doctor and cupped her chin, forcing her mouth open. Angela squealed, closing her eyes and frantically bashing her weak arms against the man's chest and arm. All this was to be in vain however as the guard simply forced the edge of the bowl into Mercy's mouth, dipping the contents of the entire container into her mouth. Nearly choking on the liquid, she reluctantly forced to swallow a minimum amount of the disgusting food before the guard let go of her chin.

She sprawled on the floor, spewing the soup that was left in her mouth onto the stone floor. The guard angrily grabbed the woman by her radiant blonde hair and forced her face into the sludge.

"Drink it!" He ordered. Angela merely smiled painfully.

"I won't submit…to the likes of you…" She murmured through her teeth.

She heard the guard stand up, placing his rifle to the side.

"You know doctor. There aren't any cameras in the cells, or in the interrogation chambers."

Her ears pick up the sound of the fly of a mans pants unzipping.

"Which means I can do whatever I want with you, for as long as I want. And no one will know."

The Valkyrie winced as she looked up to find the man drag her body up and pin her against the wall. The guard quickly takes off his helmet, his horrid, brute of a face was filled with lust and determination.

"Get off me!" Angela screams, propelling her knee into the man's groin and pushing him back as he held his manhood.

"You fucking bitch!" The guard screamed. Angela widens her eyes as he looks over the mans shoulder. Her eyes look down as black smoke slowly leaks from the crevices of the door and gradually materializes into a more solid form.

"I'm gonna make you fucking squeal like the pig you are!"

The woman back sup against the wall, her jaw hung open.

"That's right, be scared. Cause that pretty mouth of yours is gonna …"

The guard pauses as he feels a presence lurking behind him. Slowly he turns his head to find himself face to face with Death itself. Mist begins to lurk off Reaper's body, behind his mask only the heavy sounds of angry breathing made its way to the guardsman's ear.

"Oh God…" The guard said with wide eyes. "Sir…I'm sorry. I didn't know you were bac…" Reaper shoots his hand and grabs the guardsmans throat, clutched into the wraith's clawed gauntlet. With a deep and scratched voice, Reaper spoke.

"No one…was to touch her. I made it very…clear. Only food was to be provided to Doctor Ziegler's cell. _You_ disobeyed this order. Now you'll pay the price."

"Please! Sir! No! I don't want to di…"

 **Crack**

The lifeless corpse of the Talon guardsman hung limply in the firm grip of the wraith. Reaper flings the body to the side and taps his earpiece.

"After I'm done with the prisoner, cell block twenty three requires maintenance. Consider the sight as a warning to the rest of you."

Reaper lowers his arm and looks at the petrified woman shivering against the wall infront of him. Her deep blue eyes stared directly at him, her emotion contemplating various reactions, a mixture of relief, anger, pity and sadness. Reaper growled as he cracked his neck, the echo of his bones cracking echoed throughout the room, signaling a spark of impatience and intimidation. The wraith pulls a chair from under the table and takes his seat.

"Sit in the chair…now." Reaper demanded with a cold tone. Mercy kept herself cuddled for a few more moments before she could feel the impatient wraith fuming his distaste. She stood up slowly and drags the chair opposite from Reaper and sits down, her eyes refusing to look away at the man she once knew. Reaper tilts his head to the side, chuckling.

"Hmph. I can't believe it. After all these years you've barely changed a bit."

"I cannot say the same for you…murderer."

Reaper scoffed at her remark, slamming his fist into the table and the sound echoing throughout the cell, startling the doctor.

"That's funny. Me? The murderer? Angela, you have no idea how blind you were. And still are."

"I have nothing to say to you. Not after everything you've done."

Reaper impatiently taps his foot on the ground, "I'm here for answers Doctor. Not for a moral lecture. Lets start with the questions shall we?"

Ziegler stays quiet, though she could begin to feel the fear grip around her body in thoughts of what would happen if she were to refuse to co-operate.

"First, and this is something I longed to know. What...the fuck…did you do to me?"

The woman sat still like a statue, words building behind her tongue yet refused to escape from her mouth. She stared into the hollow pits of his mask, longing to see something of him that still shone at least a fragment of his humanity. Yet as she lingered across his form longer, she could only see the pale white mask of a killer, and she could only hear the cold breathing of a man longing for vengeance.

Reaper growls angrily, "Let me rephrase then…what did you do after the incident at Swiss HQ?"

Angela keeps silent for a few more moments, before realizing that the wraith's patience was waning. Her eyes begin to tear up just by thinking about what had happened. She takes a deep breath and spoke.

"After I had received word of what had happened, I was sent along with the rest of the medical and excavation unit to secure any survivors of the incident. Blackwatch members were considered to be killed on sight according to the briefing. You made them afraid Gabriel…"

" _Keep_ talking…"

Angela shakes her head and continues, "Once we've arrived on the sight I felt broken. The destruction of headquarters seemed to have taken nearly everyone that was inside. I tried looking for survivors – but I was more worried about you and Jack. As the excavation unit did its work I even joined in their efforts, using my bare hands and using all of my strength to move what seemed like boulders off mounds. After several hours, all hope seemed to be lost. But beneath the deep cracks and crevices…I found you."

Reaper leans back on his chair and folds his arms, "You got me out all by yourself?"

Mercy nodded, "Hard to believe? Because I'm nothing more than a fragile doctor? I've been to the field Reyes, I can manage myself."

The wraith darts a cold look towards the Valkyrie. The woman feels this and decides to continue back on track, "You were virtually dead. No pulse, no signs of movement – parts of you were missing…"

Tears finally streamed from the woman's blue eyes.

"I carried you…myself. No one knew where I had gone, or whom I had found. I spent hours trying to bring you back. With no sign of Jack or the others, you were the only one I had hope in bringing back to my life."

She paused, allowing herself to cry and relieve the stress that the topic had brought over her. Reaper allowed her to compose yet remained undeterred. He snarled at the woman, leaning towards her and spoke.

"I hope you're satisfied…"

"It was a failed procedure Gabriel! Something happened to cause an eruption in your body – it nearly destroyed me and my lab! I did what I had to do to bring you back!" Angela stands up berating the wraith.

" **AT WHAT COST?!** " Reaper shouts, standing up and towering over the defenseless doctor. She staggers back, moving the chair to the side as her legs bump it out of her way. With a sudden rage, Reaper grabs one end of the table and throws it to the side as if it was nothing but a feather. The table clatters loudly, an unpleasant symphony of piercing noises ring across the cell.

"All it had to cost was my **_humanity!_** " Reaper trudges closer towards the woman. Angela backs herself up against the wall, wide eyed and petrified.

"What life is worth living when you're a fucking **_freak!_** " Reaper kicks Angela's seat forward, missing her by mere inches and smashing against the wall beside her. Mercy was inclined to scream but her fear has kept her silent. She only watched as the towering wraith came closer and closer towards her, black mist fuming off his tense body. As Reaper stood infront of her he shot his arm and grasped her throat with a tight clench.

"Another failed experiment…" Reaper murmured with a deep tone.

"Which leads me to my second question…you knew what I had done. All those people I've killed. Ordered to _be_ killed…" His clench tightened with every word he spoke.

"…Why did you _bother_ to bring me back?"

Mercy croaked, her hands wrapped around the man's muscular forearm and desperately gasped for air.

"Answer me!" His claws dig into her pale white flesh. Blood begins to leak down her succulent neck and stain Reaper's gauntlet.

"Because…agh." Mercy choked, any longer and she would be crushed in his grip.

" **Answer me!** "

…

"…I…cared…for you."

Reaper released his grip, dropping the woman to the floor. She coughed and gasped, her hand reaching around her neck and wiping away the blood. Tears seemed to constantly pour from her eyes, droplets landing on the stone floor. All she could hear was the angry and tired breathing of the Reaper, standing motionless and staring at her through the hollow pits of his mask. Soon, Reaper chuckles as he urges the doctor to look up from the floor.

"Oh Angela. I wonder if you still do, after you see what I am."

Mercy looks up as Reaper's claws reach beneath his mask and pulls it up from his face. After that, Reaper lifts up his hood and reveals his decaying stature to the woman that had caused it all. Mercy's jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

"Gabriel…what…"

"What have _you_ done? Hmph. This is what I am now, what you have created."

The woman sat idle, her body shivering at what she was seeing.

"Scared? Thought so. Let me spare you the horror." Reaper turned and walked over towards the flung corpse in the corner, he knelt down and removed his gauntlet – his hand wrapping around the deceased guard's face and held it tight. Mercy watched as a purple-orange stream seamed to be extracted from the guard and into the wraith's body. Slowly, the patches of decaying skin on Reaper's face returned to its toned scheme, his graying hair back to thick and dark locks – his eyes no longer bloodshot, but warm and hazel. But as his body repaired itself, the corpse began to deteriorate. What's left was a pale husky shell of a body dressed in a Talon operator suit.

Reaper stands up and lets out a satisfied groan. He staggers several steps back and smiles as he observes his arm, completely replenished into his rightful form.

"You see Angela. What you've done to me forced me to become what you call a 'murderer'. Without killing – I don't know what will become of me."

The rejuvenated wraith walks back towards the terrified doctor and kneels to the ground, leveling his warm hazel eyes with her blue ones.

"Well…I've come here to show you what I am. That part's done. Luckily for you Angela, you still have some use to me."

Mercy rubs her neck and narrows her eyes at the wraith.

"Looking through your medical satchel we found an interesting letter." Reaper reaches into his trenchcoat and pulls out a tattered scroll – written by one she truly cared for. His eyes scanned through the paper, eventually smirking and darting his eyes back towards the woman.

"Admirer of yours?"

"What do you want Reyes?"

"Don't act dumb Angela, we both know you're better than that. I want a location. I want to know where _Genji_ is."

The woman scoffed, "I wouldn't tell you even if I knew."

Reaper straight away cuffs his hand underneath the woman's chin, puckering her lips and drawing her face closer to his. Their eyes practically met, her's filled with fear and his filled with rage.

"Then you better start recalling…otherwise I'm going to start _hurting_ you."

"You wouldn't."

Reaper licked his teeth and mouthed a brief chuckle before snarling, pulling the woman's head and whispering into her ear.

"Heh, trust me Angela. _You wouldn't want to try me_. Don't take my hesitation for pity or for old times sake. I would've killed you in Oasis if given the opportunity – but no. Your death should be slow and painful…ontop of that, you have some use for me, once that usefulness has run dry. Well…we'll get to the fun part."

The wraith pauses and grunts angrily as he stands up and taps his earpiece – irritated from the fact that he was being interrupted.

"What is it! …Huh? …You're sure? …Hmph, fine. I'll be there soon." The wraith ends the call and slowly places his pale white mask back over his face.

"I know this was a _brief_ encounter doctor. However rest assured…I will be getting answers from you." The man slowly turns and begins to walk towards the exit.

"Gabriel!" The woman shouts. The man pauses. "Why?! Why do all this?!" Reaper cringes as he begins to hear the sadness and sniffling cries build in her emotion.

"Why didn't you just come back?! You had people who cared for you! _I_ cared for you!"

The wraith stood in place for several moments, even darting a look over his shoulder – the cold exterior of his white mask infused itself into the Valkyrie's mind, reminding her that Gabriel Reyes was gone, and the Reaper was all that was left inside that shell of a body.

"Come back? Angela…oh Angela. You were meant to be an innovator, an idealist…yet you still believe in happy endings to fairy tales? After all I've done in Blackwatch, after being branded as a renegade – you still expect everyone to embrace me with open arms?"

"…But." Angela sat still like a fool, trying to ignite the pacifist inside her and convince him that things could or could've been different. Yet soon she realised under his status and the current circumstance, she knew that he was right – a happy ending would've been impossible. However her blue eyes lit up and was determined to push him back, back to the man she once cared for. The man who smiled at her when she walked inside the emergency room while he was laying on the bed injured, the man whose eyes sparkled when her presence was known, the man who made her laugh in her dire times – the man she used to love.

"How can you deny a happy ending when you've always expected the worst Gabriel!?"

Reaper growled, annoyed that the woman was still ranting on like a fool. "Enough Angela!"

"The Reyes I knew would've fought for his redemption! Ignoring what the world had to say about him and his organisation! Fighting for his innocence and his integrity!"

The wraith slowly turns around, silent and tense.

"Don't tell me that it's too late for you! Open your eyes! Is what your doing all for the sake of revenge? Vendetta? Vengeance? What then? After you've killed all your _friends_? What then Gabriel? What then?!"

Angela stood breathless, panting as she struggled to regain her breath. Her eyes locked into the bottomless pits of his mask, the void staring back directly at her. She waited anxiously for the man's response – not sure whether behind his motionless stature he was pondering or furious. Reaper moved, causing the woman to flinch in fear of another angry outburst from him – instead the wraith only moved a step back and begins to leave her cell.

"I'm done with the prisoner, send the maintenance crew. And move the prisoner into the interrogation chamber, we'll begin the next time I arrive."

Reaper walks over to the woman, stares at her with a cold glare yet does not mutter a word. He turns to the wall beside him and picks up the guardsman's rifle and slowly walks towards the exit. He kneels down beside the drained corpse and takes something off his vest – presumably the key. The wraith stands up and leaves her cell, slamming the door shut and locking it in the process.

As his footsteps begin to descend into silence, Angela sat against the wall – like she always did in her time in this cell. Huddled to herself, tears streaming down her face and the eerie silence that plagued her room was broken with the sobs of an innocent soul.


End file.
